Safety device for elevators



No. 62l,597. Patented Man 2|, I899.

\ F. M. BELL.

SAFETY DEVIOE FOR ELEVA TOBS.

(#pplication filed Kay 81, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheats-8heet l.

Wig. l.

W/TNESSE E I/NVENTOH Frank M3625 -4 ATTORNEY;

THE urmms PETER! cc Pumu'ma, wAsniunY-JN. o, c.

.No. 62l,597. Patented Mar. 2|, |a99.

F. m; BELL. SAFETY: DEVICE FOREl-ENATURS.

(Application filed m 31,1895. (No Model.) 3 Sheets$heet 2-.

WITNESSES. //v viz/W00 ATTORNEY.

THE NORRIS PETERS c0, mom-uma. WASNINGTON, n. c.

Np. 62l,597'. Patented Mar. 21,1399;

BELL. SAFETY'DE-VIGE FOB ELEVATORS. I (Ap'pfibafion fl led May 31,1898.) (No Model.) I 3 sheets-sheet 3.

' W I Frank Jili'ell BY r 7 THE uonms ETERS c0, PHDTO-UTNOA, wAsmNe'mN,n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK MERRILL BELL, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,597, dated March21, 1899. Application filed May 31, 1898. Serial No. 682,109. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK MERRILL BELL, a citizen of the United States,residing. at the city of New York, in the county and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices forElevators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspecification.

My invention relates -toimprovements in hoisting apparatus, and has forits object more particularly to provide a simple and part of thisspecification, wherein like letters 7 and numerals of reference indicatelike parts, Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of an elevator-shaftand car adaptedto work therein constructed according to and embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a section, on an enlarged scale, of a portion ofthe car and guides, said section being taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3.Fig. 3 is a similar section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is adiagrammatic View showing an elevator shaft and car,means for operatingthe same, and my invention apto the drum of the hoisting engine ormotor.

Arranged upon the rear wall of the shaft,near the top and bottomthereof, are short shafts E E, having mounted upon their ends pulleys FF, over which passes an endless cable H, which is connected near thebase of the shaft and described in Letters Patent No. 604,361

above mentioned, wherein is arranged adjacent to the base of the shaft Athe means for operating the car, comprising a hydraulic elevator-engine10 and a hoisting-cable D, having one end secured to saidelevator-engine 10 and its other end passed upward over pulleys 11,provided at the top of the shaft A,

and secured to the link D at the top of the car 0.

12 denotes a valve arranged at the base of the shaft, having aprojecting stem and a sheave 13 for raising and lowering said stem, theoperating fluid being received from the pipe 14 and entering thecylinder of the engine 10 through said valve 12 and pipe 15 anddischarged from the cylinder through the pipe 15, valve 12, and pipe 16,and 17 denotes an endless cable passing through the car 0 and over thesheave 13 of thevalve 12 and a sheave 18, arranged at the top of theshaft.

At intervals upon the rear wall of the elevator-shaft are arrangedtripping devices 19 for actuating the clutch mechanism carried by thecar, said tripping devices each com pris ing a bolt 20, normally out ofthe path of the car, and a bell-crank 21, pivotally supported and havingone end connected with the rear end of the bolt 20 and its other endsecured to the cable 24.

Arranged upon the rear wall of the elevatorshaft, near the top thereofand projecting outward therefrom, is a short shaft 22, having a pulley23 mounted upon its outer end, over which pulley passes a cable 24,which extends downward and is provided at its lower end with a weight 25and at its upper end with a counterweight 26'. Also upon the rear wallof the elevator-shaft is arranged the means for operating the cut-outmechanism comprising the short shafts E E, provided near the top andbase of the shaft, having pulleys F F mounted upon the outer .endsthereof, over which passes an endless cable H, ex

tending through the grip member I, carried by the car, and at the baseof the elevatorshaft is provided the cut-out mechanism for controllingthe supply of power to the hoisting-engine, said cut-out mechanismcomprising a valve 27, arranged in the pipe 14, connecting the cylinderof the hoisting-engine with the source of water-supply, said valve 27having a stem 28, provided with an arm 29, extending through saidvalve-stem 28 and having a short projecting portion at the rear thereof.

3O denotes a weight arranged upon the end of the arm 29, 31 a bell-crankpivotally supported upon the rear wall of the elevatorshaft above thevalve 27, having the end of its horizontal member secured to the endlesscable H and the end of its vertical member provided with a toe, againstthe under side of which the short rearwardly-projecting portion of thevalve-stem arm 28 is adapted to rest to maintain the valve 27' open, and32 denotes bearings having a rod 33, supported at its ends thereby, uponWhich is mounted the means for holding the valve 27 open and supportingthe weight 25, said holding and supporting means comprising thebell-crank 34, pivotally supported upon the rod 33 and adapted toreceive and support at its horizontal member the weight 25, while theend of its vertical member is adapted to lock against a spring-actuatedcatch (not seen) in the valve-stem arm 28.

. Upon the underside of the car 0 is arranged the clutch mechanismcomprising the bearings 35, within which are supported the rods 36,having clutches 37 at their outer ends, conical heads 38 at their inneropposing ends, collars 39, intermediate said bearings 35,and springs 40,disposed upon said rods 36, intermediate the collars 39 and bearings 35,and arranged at right angles to the bearings 35 are bearings 41, wherebythe clutch-holding mechanism is supported, said mechanism comprising arod 42, adapted to work within the bear ings 41 and projecting partlybeyond the car 0 at its back, a double detent 43, secured upon the rod42, adapted to engage the conical heads 38 of the clutch-rods 36, aspring 44, disposed upon said rod 42, intermediate the bearing 41,supporting the forward end of said rod 42 and the double detent 43, ashoe 45, carried upon the projecting end of the rod 42, and a stop 46,arranged upon the forward end of the rod 42 to limit the outwardmovement of said rod 42.

I denotes a grip mechanism which is arranged upon the top of the car andextends rearwardly beyond the outline thereof and comprises a tongue J,secured to the car, having its outer end turned upward and forward, theturned-over end of said tongue J and the portion of the tongue directlybelow the turned-over portion being provided with apertures ct, anda-movable member K, pivotally secured near its rear end to the tongue Jand its forward end extending through a bail K,

secured to the top of the car, which serves to limit the movement ofthe'said movable member K. Near its rear end said movable member K isprovided at one side with a recess or indentation c, which registerswith the apertures a in the tongue J, and near its forward end saidmovable member is provided with a staple L,the ends of which are securedthereto to each side of the bail K, and the horizontal portion of thestaple L provided with an antifriction-roller L.

From the top of'the car intermediate the bail K and the hoisting-cable Dprojects upwardly a standard M, the upper end of which is forked toreceive a lever N, which is pivotally supported therein upon a pin (Z,said lever having one of its ends bent at right angles to the mainportion thereof and forked to receive the hoistin g-cable D,while theother end of said lever N is adapted to contact with the horizontalport-ion of the staple L of the movable grip member K, and 0 denotes aspiral spring having one end secured to the top of the car and its otherend secured to the forked end of the lever N, whereby to maintain saidforked end in contact with and bearing upon the supporting device orbutton e on the cable D.

P denotes a flat spring having one end secured to the top of the car andits free end in contact with one leg of the staple L to maintain thehorizontal portion of said staple in contact with the end of the leverN.

To the extreme forward end of the lever K is secured a rope f, the freeend of which is passed over a pulley or roller g and into the car andprovided with a handle h, whereby the lever K may be drawn back to itsinitial position when the grip mechanism is to be reset, and to one endof the lever N is secured a rope h, having one end passed over rollers ii into the car and provided with a handle j.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: If we assume the apparatusto be in the position indicated by full lines in the figures the gripmechanism will be free of the cable H and the car permitted to ride upand down within the shaft without disturbing any portion of theapparatus. However, as soon as the cable D breaks the link D and thesection of the cable D, secured thereto, will fall.v The supportingdevice (2, supporting the forked end of the lever N, being no longer inposition, the forked end of said lever N will be drawn toward the top ofthe car by the spring 0, the opposite end of said lever N released ofits engagement with the horizontal portion of the staple L, and causethe forward end of the movable grip member K to be forced by the actionof the spring P'toward the center of the car and the rear end of saidmovable grip member K into engagement with the endless cable H, asindicated by dotted line at Fig. 3, and move the same, which will inturn release the short rearwardly-projecting portion of the valve-stemarm 28, cause the Weight 30 to drop, and close the valve 27.Simultaneously herewith the vertical end of the bell-crank 34 will bereleased of its engagement with the spring-actuated catch (not seen) inthe valve-stem arm 29, the Weight caused to drop and operate thetripping devices 19 to project the bolts 20 thereof and hold the samelocked to their projected positions. Thereupon as soon as the shoe 45,carried by the car, comes into contact with the first tripping device inits path the shoe will beforced inward, the double detent 43 released ofits engagement with the heads 38 of the clutch-rods, and the clutches 37projected by the action of the springs 40 into engagement with theguides B B and arrest allfurther movement of the car. However, shouldthe cable D simply stretch and v the supporting device e be movedthereby farther from the top of the car it will cause the forked end ofthe lever N to rise and its opposite end to be depressed, and thus bereleased of its engagement with thestaple L and accomplish the sameresult as abovedescribed. To operate the apparatus by hand, it simplybecomes necessary to pull the rope h and release the lever N toaccomplish the same result. As soon as the cable has been repaired itsimply becomes necessary to draw back the lever K by means of the ropef, extending into the car, reset the lever N, then secure the button 6in proper position below theforked end thereof, and reset the clutch andcut-out mechanisms as indicated at Fig.

4, and the car will be again free to travel with-- in the shaft. I

WVithout limiting myself to the details of construction, which may bevaried within the scope of the invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of an elevatorshaft, a car therein provided with ahoisting-cable and clutch mechanism, means for. operating said car,cut-out mechanism interposed between the source of power and the meansfor operating the car, and means arranged within the shaft adapted tooperate said cut-out, and clutch mechanisms with an engaging mechanismand means for actuating said engaging mechanism to engage the meansarranged within the shaft whereby to operate the in-- terposed cut-outmechanism to shut off the power, and the clutch mechanism to arrest themovement of the car when the hoistingcable assumes an abnormalcondition, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of an elevator-shaft, a car therein provided with ahoisting-cable and clutch mechanism, means for operating said car,cut-out mechanism interposed between the source of power and the meansfor operating the car, and means arranged within the shaft adapted tooperate said cut-out and clutch mechanisms with an engaging mechanism,holding means for maintaining the engaging mechanism in position topermit of the free movement of the elevator-car, and means for releasingsaid holding means to actuate the engaging mechanism to engage the meansarranged within the shaft whereby to operate the interposed cut-outmechanism to shut off-the power, and the clutch mechanism to arrest themovement of the car when the hoisting-cable assumes an abnormalposition, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of an elevator-shaft, a

car therein provided with a hoisting-cable and clutch mechanism, meansfor operating said car, cut-out mechanism interposed between the sourceof power and the means for operating the car, and a cable arrangedwithin the shaft adapted to operate said cut-out and clutch mechanismswith a grip mechanism adapted to engage said cable holding means formaintaining said grip mechanism normally out of engagement with saidcable, and means for releasing said holding means to causethe gripmechanism to engage said cable to operate the interposed cut-outmechanism to shut off the power, and the clutch mechanism to arrest themovement of the car when the hoisting-cable assumes an abnormalcondition, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of an elevator-shaft, a car therein provided with ahoisting-cable and clutch mechanism, means for operating said car,cut-out mechanism interposed between the source of power and the meansfor operating the car, and an endless cable arranged within theshaft-adapted to operate said cut-out and clutch mechanisms with a gripmechanism adapted to engage said endless cable, holding'means arrangedintermediate the grip mechanism and hoisting-cable adapted to maintainthe grip mechanism normally out ofengagement with said endless cable,and means for tripping said holding means to cause the grip mechanism toengage said endless cable to operate the interposed cu t-out mechanismto shut off the power, and the clutch mechanism to arrest the movementof the car when the hoisting-cable assumes an abnormal condition,substantially as specitain the grip mechanism normally out of en-'gagement with said endless cable, and means for tripping said holdingmeans to cause the grip mechanism to engage said endless cable tooperate the interposed cut-out mechanism to shut off the power,'and theclutch mechanism to arrest the movement of the car when thehoisting-cable assumes an abnormal condition, substantially asspecified.

ICO

6. The combination of an elevator-shaft, a car therein provided with ahoisting-cable and clutch mechanism, means for operating said car,cut-out mechanism interposed between the source of power and the meansfor operating the car, and an endless cable arranged within the shaftadapted to operate said cut-out and clutch mechanisms with a gripmechanism comprising a rigid member and a movable member, holding meansarranged intermediate one end of the movable grip member and thehoisting-cable whereby to maintain said grip mechanism normallydisengaged from said endless cable, means for tripping said holdingmeans when the hoisting-cable assumes an abnormal condition, and springmeans for projecting said movable grip member, when released, intoengagement with said endless cable to oper ate the interposed cut-outmechanism to shut off the power, and the clutch mechanism to arrest themovement of the car, substantially as specified.

7. In a safety device for elevators, the combination of an elevator-carand hoisting-cable having a supporting device secured thereon adjacentto the top of the car with a grip mechanism secured to and projectingbeyond the car and adapted to engage a cable, said grip mechanismcomprising a rigid member,

a, movable member pivotally secured thereto provided at its forward endwith an u pwardlyprojecting member, and a spring for projecting saidmovable grip member having one end secured to the car and its free endin contact with the upWardly-proj ectin g member of said movable gripmember, an upright secured to the car-top intermediate the forward endof the movable grip member and the hoistingcable, a lever pivotallysupported in the upper end of said upright, having one of its endsforked and disposed above the supporting device secured to thehoisting-cable, and its other end in contact with the upwardlyprojectingmember of the movable grip member, and a spring having one end securedto the top of the car and its other end to the forked end of theaforesaid lever whereby to maintain said forked end in contact with thesupporting device secured to the hoisting-cable, substantially asspecified.

8. In a safety device for elevators, the combination of an elevator-carhaving a link thereon and hoisting-cable secured to said link having asu pporting device thereon above said link with a grip mechanism securedto and projecting beyond the car and adapted to engage a cable, saidgrip mechanism comprising a rigid member, a movable member pivotallysecured thereto provided at its for ward end with an upwardly-projectingmember, and a spring for projecting said movable grip member having oneend secured to the car and its free end in contact-with theupwardly-projecting member of the movable grip member, means arrangedwithin the car for returning said movable grip member to its initialposition, after projection, an upright secured to the top of the carintermediate the forward end of the movable grip member and thehoisting-cable, a lever pivotally supported in the upper end of saidupright, having one of its ends forked and disposed above the supportingdevice on the hoistingcable, and its other end in contact with theupwardly-projecting member of the movable grip member, means arrangedwithin the car for tripping said lever to project the movable gripmember, and a spring having one end secured to the top of the car, andits other end to the forked end of the aforesaid lever whereby tomaintain said forked end normally in contact with the supporting deviceon the hoisting-cable, substantially as specified.

Signed at the city of New York, in the county and State of New York,this 28th day of l\[ay, 1898.

FRANK MERRILL BELL.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM L. PoLLocK, GUsTAvE DIETERICI-I.

